Rendezvous
by EthelBertie
Summary: "He talks of 'us' as fated and destined but frankly, I think 'us' was a product of luck. Unbelievably fortunate and blessed once-in-a-lifetime luck but still...luck nontheless." A series of chance meetings that lead to the chance romance. FE7. Sain Fiora.
1. Reevaluation

**Rendezvous**

_"He talks of 'us' as fated and destined but frankly, I think 'us' was a product of luck. Unbelievably fortunate and blessed once-in-a-lifetime luck but still...luck nontheless." A series of chance meetings that lead to the chance romance. FE7. Sain X Fiora._

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim to own Fire Emblem nor wish to profit monetarily from it.

* * *

**1. Re-evaluation**

Of all the women in he had ever met, Sain had ranked Dame Fiora as the fourth prettiest. Lady Louise had topped the list easily with her golden hair, lethal beauty, and easy smile. His own lady liege Lyndis coming second with her striking wildflower appeal, and Lady Priscilla a close third with her graceful beauty and poetically tragic eyes.

True, it was not fair to construct lists as these but Sain found he could not help but do so when he thought of women - which was often. Sain loved all women but for some criminal reason, some attributes seem to appeal to him more than others.

As Sain sat there on the bench, enjoying a brief respite from the duties of sub-commander, he pondered more on his list and began a new one - ranking the attributes of women in order of its appeal to him. When he referenced this new list to his 'prettiest women' list, glaring errors and inconsistencies were immediately apparent.

It simply would not do!

If he were to rank women, it should be done fairly and in the most honest way possible. Pacing back and forth, Sain fervently flicked through the images in his head, amending his list to best reflect his preferences. That was where he reached a dilemma. An impossibly infuriatingly immovable obstacle.

Dame Fiora should never have been that high. Nowhere near that high. It was not that she wasn't a lovely woman, all in the list were lovely women, but that her total appealing attributes -"beauty score" Sain decided to call it- was so disastrously low, it was a grave injustice to all the other ladies that Sain had even considered her in the top ten.

But it felt a graver injustice to move her. The thought of lowering Dame Fiora from her esteemed place in the top five felt so disgustingly wrong and yet it was unfair, and yet it was wrong, and yet it was a show of dishonorable bias, and yet it was _Fiora_, and yet...

"Sain! What are you doing?" It was Kent, come to drag him back to his knightly duties.

"Trying to fix a ghastly error, my friend." Sitting back on the bench, Sain furrowed his eyebrows, "I would be no good as sub-commander this afternoon if this thing continues to plague my mind."

"Don't be ridiculous Sain. What could bother you so?" Kent sat next to him.

"Do you truly wish to know?"

"Yes."

"Truly?"

"Sain-"

"Truly?"

Kent exhaled impatiently. "Truly. So, hurry, tell me and I shall fix it."

Quickly, Sain considered what Kent could do to help, because while Kent was a man, he rarely appreciated women like Sain did. But a new insight, an outsider's view, had been known to solve many a dilemma and surely, Sain could trust his closest companion to-

"Sain! Tell me."

"Kent." _Here goes nothing._ "Who do you believe more lovely, Dame Fiora or Lady Ninian?"

Kent blanched and then cleared his throat. And then once more. "Sain...we have neither the right nor the time to discuss this."

"Kent!" Inhaling, Sain prepared his reprimand, "One: shouldn't all women have the right to have men marvel at their beauty. Two: I asked for no discussion but merely an answer. Three: recruits do not need to meet until after morning tea, which is at high noon, which it is no where near. Four: ...you promised you would help me."

"I did no such thing." Kent stood up and began to walk off. Sain quickly followed.

"Please Kent, help me, else Dame Fiora will continue her siege upon my thoughts. Whilst I have no problem with that, it will surely hinder my ability as your sub-commander and surely-" Tripping on a rock and falling face first, Sain cursed Kent's fast pace, "...surely you and I do not want to do such a disservice to Caelin."

Wordlessly Kent offered a hand.

"Kent, please. All you have to do is consider the-the..."

Getting up, Sain was on the verge of pleading for an answer.

"...physical attributes of both and from there, find which of the two is more desirable."

A pause.

Sain continued to dust himself off.

"Kent, it is a simple matter of-"

"Lady Ninian."

"What?" Sain was taken aback; he had not really expected an answer.

Kent's face began to go beet red as he repeated, "Lady Ninian."

"Wh-What? Why?" This time Sain was taken aback that Kent chose Lady Ninian over _Fiora_.

"Her ...um... dancing. It, uh, gives...I mean, there's a...ahem...appeal in the way she ...um... gestures. A-as opposed to the ...uh... knightly way that Dame Fiora ...ahem... gestures. Though I appreciate the ...uh efficiency, Lady Ninian's are far more ...erm...

graceful to …um... b-behold."

Sain briefly wondered whether Kent's face would ever return to the same colour again.

Regaining composure, Kent adopted a stern tone. "Are you satisfied Sain?"

Sain thought a little on his answer. With Kent's answer, which was rather concise and on a certain level true, Sain began to see his list so much clearer. The spots and placement made sense, because Kent's gracious answer did not count for Sain. And any other answer would not count for Sain. Only Sain could count for Sain. Not that weird analytical Sain, but the original Sain.

Clarity, at last.

Besides, Dame Fiora's efficiently stiff and soldierly movements gave her beauty a dangerously orderly edge. Such an edge is far more appealing than the wonderfully lithe body of Lady Ninian.

Sain smiled.

"You're wrong."

-00000-

Later that day, post a particularly invigorating nap on the castle roof, he chanced to see her. Well, to be honest, he saw a pegasus knight. But in a very Sain way, he just _knew_ it was the wonderful Dame Fiora.

On impulse, as he did most things, Sain signaled to her, crooning about and making all sorts of ruckus.

He was sure it was her.

The way she flew on her pegasus - he was near her often in battle to know.

The way she kept the other pegasus knights behind her in precise order.

The way she threw her javelin-

-which was coming right at him.

Missed.

A band around the tip.

Surely Sain could not be so lucky.

Teal.

It was her.

She always tied a band on her projectile weapons so she would be able to recognize and retrieve them later.

"Frugality is an essentiality."

Grinning foolishly as he picked up the javelin, where it harmlessly clattered just beside him, Sain mused how he could have ever made the lovely Dame Fiora play second fiddle to the also lovely but ultimately inferior Lady Louise.

Amendments to the list were in order.

Immediately.

Or perhaps...

"Dame Fiora shall command a list of her own!"

Laughing gleefully, Sain rushed inside the castle to tell Kent of his resolved dilemma.


	2. Slipped

**Rendezvous**

_"He talks of 'us' as fated and destined but frankly, I think 'us' was a product of luck. Unbelievably fortunate and blessed once-in-a-lifetime luck but still...luck nontheless." A series of chance meetings that lead to the chance romance. FE7. Sain X Fiora._

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim to own Fire Emblem nor wish to profit monetarily from it.

* * *

**2. Slipped**

It was an accident, really. The javelin should have never left its pouch.

Indeed, she had seen the figure below making noises louder than it should have been able to.

Indeed, she had immediately known it was Sain.

Indeed, the javelin was in her hands in the moments leading up to its descent.

Indeed, the incoherent babble was getting on her nerves.

Indeed, it might not have really been an accident - subconciously anyways.

Fiora was momentarily considering sending a warning javelin -Sain was beginning to startle the other pegasi and their knights- before the utter irrationality of the idea caught up with her.

She moved to slide the javelin back into its pouch.

Thinking it secure, she released her hold.

It wasn't secure.

Despite being the lout that he was, Fiora believed that Sain didn't really deserve to be impaled by a javelin.

_Miss._

_Miss._

_Miss!_

_Did it miss?_

A jovial laugh and a flurry of footsteps.

_Oh, thank goodness._

_Perhaps lout was too strong a word...clown seems better suited. _

_No, not clown..._

"Fiora! Is there a problem?"

_Odd fool, perhaps?_

"No. No problem at all, Commander."

_Silly dolt._

_Foolish knight._

_Absurd---_

"Then let us move along."

_Now was not the time!_

That night, around the campfire, Fiora cursed how her ears burned and cheeks tinted when the discussion turned to the loud male on Caelin Castle's roof and Fiora's missing javelin. Her commander was particularly stern on the latter -

"We're short on javelins as it is! And for you to waste one on some fool and MISS?"

She found solace from her shame in the fact that perhaps that reckless Caelin knight was facing reprimand for his actions too.

Although she highly doubted it.


	3. Offerings

**Rendezvous**

_"He talks of 'us' as fated and destined but frankly, I think 'us' was a product of luck. Unbelievably fortunate and blessed once-in-a-lifetime luck but still...luck nontheless." A series of chance meetings that lead to the chance romance. FE7. Sain X Fiora._

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim to own Fire Emblem nor wish to profit monetarily from it.

* * *

**3. Offerings**

"Sain, you know that it is not wise to run about Castle Caelin brandishing a javelin."

"Yes, Kent."

"You know that there is often an echo in the castle that makes loud noises unpleasant."

"Yes, Kent."

"You know that animals startle easily from unpleasant loud noises."

"Yes, Kent."

"You know that javelins are sharp."

"Kent! You say it as if I were a fool!"

"You were behaving like a fool."

Sain crossed his arms sullenly. He had already conceded to Kent that perhaps his...spectacle was not the most inspired idea. Multiple times, as a matter of fact. But here they still stood, in the musty stable, and Kent would not stop pointing out the idiocy of his exuberance, belittling his passion, stifling his joy, dampening his spirits, and then picking at what remained, like a vulture to a carcass.

Sain wished he had pricked Kent with the javelin instead of Lady Lyndis' favourite horse.

Oh, how he mourned for his beautiful teal banded javelin that was so cruelly confiscated from him. Sain wondered whether Lady Lyndis knew how much such an act wounded him. Surely she would have prevented such a hounding from Kent if she knew that the javelin held such a dear part of his heart.

It was a gift from fate!

And as much as Sain trusted Lady Lyndis' wisdom, she really should have known better than to obstruct fate.

-00000-

At dinner, Sain was noticeably absent. Kent guiltily mused if he had been too hard on his friend. Sain had stormed off abruptly earlier in the afternoon, and although Kent knew he would never shirk his duty so recklessly, he was a little worried that Sain, as hot-headed as he was, would not come back for a while.

The inquiring looks from Lady Lyndis did not ease his conscience.

Sain did not return till morning. With a conspicuously large sack. And black rings under his eyes. Upon Kent's enquiry, he did not answer.

-00000-

It was one of her duties in the guard to fly around the Caelin area. Considering Florina was the only officially stationed Pegasus Knight of Caelin, Commander Kent made good use of her wings as a scout. Most days, Lyn would come along with her and they would have races, both girls laughing carelessly into the winds of Caelin's farmland.

In her most recent flight, there was a sudden storm and she had been stuck in outer Caelin for a night. Upon her re-arrival to the castle, she had heard of a commotion that Sir Sain had struck Lyn's horse in the day past and had been punished with stable duty for the next month.

Seeing him now, confined to the stable, confirmed the rumors of that reckless act. However, no one mentioned the bag. A rather big bag, filled to the top, lying in the hay next to him. _What could he possibly need a bag like that for?_

From the moment she met him, Florina had been queasily uneasy around Sain. She had a feeling that it would always be that way. Something was particularly troubling in his loud verbiage, enthusiastic gestures, and broad grins. And so, as he approached her with the large sack filled with goodness knows what, she trembled a little. Just a little.

"Sweet Florina! How was your flight?"

His movements were not hampered by the heavy sack.

"G-good, Sir Sain. Although I...I mean, there was a storm."

"And you braved it beautifully, for here you are, fate be blessed, unharmed and well. Lady Lyndis will be elated!"

"W-well, that's..um...good. Wh-where might I find Lyn, Sir Sain?"

His grin lessened somewhat. Florina was a little grateful. Although the bag remained on her mind. _Do I dare ask?_

"Alas, I'm afraid I know not where Lady Lyndis is. I have been punished most justly to this stable and I have remained since daybreak. So I am of no help in that matter. Might I perhaps offer my assistance with your valiant pegasus instead?"

"No! A-ah. No, thank you. I-it's just that I'm not sure Huey takes kindly to strangers."

Oh, how her curiosity burned for the bag! _Dare I ask? Dare I..._

"Surely, I am no stranger to this magnificent steed!"

_...ask? Dare I ask? Dare I-Oh dear!_ He took a step closer. And with him, the bag. _I must know!_

"Sir Sain, what is in the bag?"

The knight looked a little startled by her squeak. Then he blinked and looked to the heavy sack in his hands. And then he turned to look at her, grinning sheepishly.

"Oh! This? It was a favor that I was going to ask from you very presumptuously. Please do not take such forwardness as an insult but I would love if you could hear it." A little frightening turn of his lips.

Florina was speechless. However, her head did quiver in a nod-like fashion.

"You will? Oh! Indeed, it is only your kindness that exceeds your beauty!"

Sain shifted the bag in his hands and opened it, revealing the contents to her.

A whole bunch of delicious looking confectionary, beautiful bunches of flowers, and some of the most adorable dolls she had ever seen in her life.

"Tell me, sweet Florina, how will I be able to send these to your most exquisite sister; the remarkable Dame Fiora?"


	4. Reception

**Rendezvous**

_"He talks of 'us' as fated and destined but frankly, I think 'us' was a product of luck. Unbelievably fortunate and blessed once-in-a-lifetime luck but still...luck nontheless." A series of chance meetings that lead to the chance romance. FE7. Sain X Fiora._

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim to own Fire Emblem nor wish to profit monetarily from it.

**A/N: **Exam season is over, and so holidays are now in session. Four -well, three and a bit- glorious weeks of free time. Expect more frequent updates in that time frame. Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

**4. Reception**

There were a lot of reasons that many of the Ilian Knights would give Fiora eyes.

Half a year earlier, she returned from the campaign against Nergal - the "Silent War", she decided it would be called. With her came the news of her squad's unfair, unfortunate and untimely demise. Fiora was months late, acted against at least a page of regulations and therefore reprimanded swiftly and accordingly. Her professional reputation suffered greatly.

It was the duty of all commanders to give the message to remaining family and significant others should any of their squad fall. Many of the poor girls had siblings, parents, and promised ones. Although it was to be expected that those in the mercenary profession might die, the wipe-out of an entire squad begged the leader's ability and character a questioning of the serious sort. Some in Edessa no longer welcomed her into their institutions.

Even the letters and gifts of condolences from the gracious Lord Pent proved no good.

Her name was mud - of the disgusting muddy snow slush variety that the people tread upon. With a vengeance.

It was three months before they would let her join a squad again.

There were indeed many reasons to give eyes at Fiora and over time she became used to the stares and glares.

However, in this circumstance, a particularly odd circumstance indeed, she was sure the eyes were not of the usual meanings.

On her return from her most recent mission - some bandits troubling the borders of some Etrurian noble's land - she was greeted with news that her mail had become a crowning nuisance in the mail room. She nearly fell from the sight of the sheer amount of it.

A pegasus knight of the 2nd Wing - maybe - currently on mail-duty was giving her eyes as Fiora began to gather the large sacks of something. Fiora was pretty certain it was eyes of curiosity, although she dared not meet her eyes to confirm.

Nor anybody else's as she lugged the packages along.

And so, as she dragged three rather large - and rather cold - bags across the halls of the majestic Ilian Knight's Quarters, she kept her eyes down and tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

Which was hard. Unbelievably and frustratingly so.

She sullenly cursed the kind souls and pleasant mannerisms of those who thought she required aid.

-00000-

In the quiet comfort of her room, she wishfully wondered what kind of wonders the bags held. Fiora was still a little too stunned to open them.

The sacks, three in total, fit comfortably in the abundant spare spaces of her room. Fiora did not think much of furnishings; a bed, desk, and storage space were more than enough for her belongings and livelihood. She thinks she owned about three outfits. She glanced towards the sacks.

Perhaps her younger sister Farina had happened upon an enormous wealth and saw it fit to gift her a wardrobe fit for a queen with the surplus.

Sitting on the lone bed, she shook her head and chuckled; Farina would never happen upon wealth large enough that she believed it to be too much. Fiora drew the blankets up around herself as she felt a chill run over her. Winter appeared to be coming early. She took another glance at the sacks.

Perhaps her youngest sister Florina, who dwelled in the much warmer climate of Lycia, remembered the icy chill that was Ilia in winter and gifted her with warm wool blankets.

Blankets still around her, Fiora wandered over to her desk and peered at her calendar. She questioned why she would be receiving gifts in the first place; there were no upcoming or recently passed special occasions. She glanced again at the sacks.

Perhaps it was some joke and the bags were actually full of coal.

Which would not be that bad; she could set it alight and have her own little campfire.

Goodness knows that the temperature in her room warranted one.

Fiora was Ilian! She should really be able to take this cold in stride. Fiora sighed, the weeks spent in Etruria made her soft.

Perhaps they were parcels from Lord Pent. He had a wealth of kindness that ran circles around his monetary wealth.

Fiora circled the sacks, which were idly resting in the middle of her room, still unable to bring herself to actually open them. She spared a glance out her window - her window! It was open!

There was a reasonable explanation to the frost growing on her nose!

She rushed over to the window, ignored her icy hands, and promptly slammed it shut.

Having conquered the mystery of the dreadful chill, Fiora felt like she could brave anything. Even her mysterious packages. She marched the two steps to the sacks and grabbed one with a fierce determination. Untying the knot that locked the contents, Fiora fiercely ventured inside and pulled out a parcel.

Steeling herself before she read it, Fiora was certain she was prepared for anything.

_To the most wonderful, charming, most beautiful, enchanting, honorable, and exquisite Dame Fiora of the Ilian Pegasus Knights, your devoted Sain of the Caelin Knights offers you this gift in hopes that it pleases and brings a heavenly smile upon your divine features. Let this gift and the many others that have hopefully followed or preceded it..._

She was wrong. Nothing could have prepared her for this.

The parcel and her jaw fell with a distinct clutter.

-00000-

Despite how garish the gifts and however thin she believed Sain's affections for her were, Fiora could not bring herself to throw his presents away.

It could have been the persuasive force of good manners - such a force also persuaded her to send him a courtesy thank you letter - or perhaps the fact that the gifts were surprisingly practical.

Practicality was one of the few things she privately idolized and actively preached.

The fairly large stuffed toys were a wonderful addition to her bedding setup; they served much like extra blankets. The very gaudy dresses were bundled up and placed along the walls; acting as padding and giving her room extra protection from exterior chill. The bunches of flowers, although wilted by the time of opening, retained their delicate scent. Stuffing the petals in bags of thin material, thin enough to let the scent through, they become a sort of room freshener - winters in Ilia forced interiors to become stuffy, the scent of these dried petals alleviated much of it. The confectionary thankfully did not expire and Fiora found that her midnight cravings were wonderfully satisfied.

All in all, they gave her room a warmer, brighter feel.

Ilia didn't feel so cold anymore.

The eyes didn't burn as much anymore.

Heavenly smiles frequented upon her divine features a lot more.

Fiora found herself feeling disappointed that she was only able to spend a week among her newly acquired luxuries before she had to leave on her next mission - more bandits.

Her commander, noticing the lack of Fiora's usual enthusiasm, rapped her on the shoulder and barked, "Shape up or else those Lycian bandits might actually give you a hard time."


End file.
